The Loss (episode)
Deanna loses her telepathic powers; the Enterprise is slowly pulled off course by an unknown force. Summary In the course of investigating strange patterns, Deanna Troi loses her empathic abilities. Unable to pinpoint the source of the patterns, the Enterprise tries to reengage warp drive, but cannot move. The Enterprise is being dragged along at one-tenth impulse and no way to break free. With Dr. Crusher unable to restore her empathic abilities, Troi resigns her position from Starfleet, much to the dismay of Picard and Riker. Meanwhile, Data discovers that the ship is being dragged by unknown two-dimensional beings towards a cosmic string, a one-dimensional version of a black hole, spelling certain destruction. Worf fires a spread of photon torpedoes first 7 kilometers in front of the field, then directly into it in an attempt to disrupt the field. However, instead of averting their path, they continue at the same speed towards it. Troi realizes that the two-dimensional beings are heading "home", towards the string. Data now constructs a temporary cosmic string behind the Enterprise, disrupting the movement of the two-dimensional beings, and allowing the Enterprise to break free of their control. Troi's empathic abilities are returned to her, as she is no longer in the vicinity of the two-dimensional beings. She realizes that since there was such a high number of sentient beings with one shared emotion that is had overwhelmed her empathic abilities. She resumes her post as ship's counselor. Memorable Quotes "Therapists are always the worst patients. Except for doctors, of course." : - Beverly Crusher "A resumption of our present course at warp six will place us in the T'lli Beta system in six days, thirteen hours forty-seven minutes." "What, no seconds?" "I have discovered, Sir, a certain level of impatience when I calculate a lengthy time interval to the nearest second. However, if you wish..." "No, no. Minutes is fine." : - Data and William T. Riker "Is this how you handle all of your personnel problems?" "Sure. You'd be surprised how far a hug goes with Geordi, or Worf." : - Deanna Troi and William T. Riker Background Information *An important part of a spacecraft's systems, the structural integrity field was first referenced in this episode. *The Breen are also mentioned for the first time in this episode; they are, like the Ferengi, empathically undetectable. *The counselor's office was slightly modified after its last appearance in "The Price" but its appearance remains pretty much unchanged from this episode on. *Cosmic strings were later mentioned by Deanna Troi again, in "Disaster", when Miles O'Brien clarified that they are "a completely different phenomenon" from quantum filaments. *T'lli Beta was named after author Hilary J. Bader's grandmother, Tillie Bader. Links and References Guest Stars *Kim Braden as Janet Brooks *Mary Kohnert as Tess Allenby *Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan Co-Starring *Cameron as Kellogg (uncredited) *Joyce Robinson as Gates (uncredited) *Carl Banks as Russell (uncredited) *Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace (uncredited) *Michael Braveheart as Martinez (uncredited) References Bayesian function; black hole; Bracas V; Betazoid; birthday; brain; Breen; Brooks, Marc; cerebellum; cerebral cortex; cosmic string; counselor; counselor's office; deflector; electromagnetic spectrum; empathy; event horizon; Ferengi; frequency scan detector; Gates; ghost; graviton field; headache; Himalayas; holo-programs; horse; Imzadi; internuncial series; Kabul River; kilodyne; language; Martinez; moth; music box; neurophysiology; Newton; nursery; parabolic dish; photon torpedo; probe; proton; psychology; Russell; sensor array; sentience; skin diving; star; Starfleet Academy; structural integrity field; subspace; T'lli Beta; T'lli Beta system; T'lli Betans; tea; tractor beam; two-dimensional lifeforms; violin; Wallace, Darien; wheelchair |next= }} Loss, The de:Das kosmische Band es:The Loss nl:The Loss